1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mobile electronics and, more particularly, to vehicle navigation systems for searching for a route to a destination and performing route guidance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In prior known land vehicle navigation apparatus, where a route to a destination is determined based on input of several locations, including pass-through points and destination, and route guidance is performed using display screens and/or electronically synthesized voice messages based on the determined guidance route, route guidance using intersection diagrams is provided for each guidance intersection. In the route guidance using maps, the present position of the vehicle is displayed at the center of a map of the immediate vicinity, along with associated landmarks located along the road. As shown in FIG. 10, a guidance route (fat broken line) and a present position mark (a combination of a broken-line circle and a triangle) are overlaid for display on the map; however, when the present position is approaching a guidance intersection which is a predefined distance ahead (300 m, for example), an intersection (close up) diagram which visually depicts details of the intersection is displayed on the screen with enlarged details including associated points or "landmarks," which points may be used to visually recognize and confirm the intersection, e.g. a gas station (GS), convenience store, bank, public facility and the like, as shown in FIG. 11.
However, where an intersection diagram is displayed, since all roads connecting at that intersection are indiscriminately displayed, as shown in FIG. 11, the resulting display screen becomes complicated reducing the readability of the screen, i.e. impeding rapid recognition of the proper route and travel direction.